Average annual temperature for the state of Montana: 1895-2009.
Have you ever wondered if Montana's climate has changed in the last century?
Turns out that it has, both in terms of average temperatures and precipitation patterns.
The above graph is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has been keeping track of weather patterns across our country for a very long time now.
It shows that between 1895 and 2009, average annual temperatures across the state of Montana increased by two degrees Fahrenheit.
Graph from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Services website.
Average temperatures for the state of Montana during winter: 1895-2009.
Average temperatures have warmed much more in some seasons than in others during the last 100 years, however.
Average increases in temperatures during the winter months (December-January-February) over the course of the last century in Montana were 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, which has led to more rain-on-snow events and shallower snowpacks in the mountains in recent decades.
Graph from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Services website.
Average annual precipitation for the state of Montana: 1895-2009.
At the same time that temperatures have been rising in Montana, average annual precipitation has been dropping.
According to NOAA, average annual precipitation in our state fell by an inch over the course of the last 100 years.
An inch may not seem like a lot, until you realize that our state normally receives just 16 inches of precipitation each year.
Graph from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Services website.
Changes in average annual precipitation across the United States between 1958-2009.
Drought is a part of life in our semi-arid state, but the above map (also by NOAA) shows changes in precipitation between 1958 and 2008, with areas in brown becoming drier over time, and areas in blue becoming wetter over time.
To see the entire report from which this map was taken, click here.
To read about the ways in which some communities in Montana are learning to cope with water shortages more effectively, click here.
Figure from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
